Been There: Lessons From A Shared ExperienceWhen you're facing a major life change, it helps to talk to someone who's already been through it. NPR connects people on either side of a shared experience.

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Been There: Lessons From A Shared Experience

Johnathon Shillings (left), 28, just completed a five-year sentence and was reunited with his 8-year-old daughter, Victoria. Macario Gonzales, 27, shown with his 2-year-old daughter, Mackelsey, has just started to serve a seven-year sentence in Texas state prison.
Courtesy of Johnathon Shillings and Macario Gonzales
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How To Parent From Prison And Other Advice For Life Inside

Crystal Joyce's son â her youngest child â is in his senior year of high school, headed to college in the fall. Joyce (left) gets advice on the transition to being an empty nester from Ana Machado, whose children have all left home.
Courtesy of Stephen Joyce and Wilmar Machado
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Adjusting To An Empty Nest Brings Grief, But Also Freedom

Kam Franklin (left) is lead singer of The Suffers, a band from Houston that started touring three years ago. Amber Daniel is lead singer and bassist of Blame the Youth from North Carolina. They're preparing for their first tour.
Courtesy of Jay Bee Zay and Allison Slade
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How To Survive Playing To An Empty Room And Other Advice For A Band's First Tour

Audrey Degraaf (left) found out this summer that she's pregnant with triplets. Lorie Shelley gave birth to triplets — two boys and a girl — nearly 20 years ago.
Courtesy of Audrey Degraaf; Lorie Shelley
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Color Coding Your Babies And Other Tips For Raising Triplets

James Carmody has Asperger's syndrome and is a freshman at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. He sat down with Elizabeth Boresow, who graduated from the University of Kansas and also has autism.
Courtesy of James Carmody; Allison Marcus
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Navigating Life On Campus When You're On The Autism Spectrum

Camille Miller (left) is still trying to adjust to her new life in a retirement community. She gets advice from Morris Gordon, who made a similar move earlier this year.
Patti English; Nicole Acevedo
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Adjusting To Life In A Retirement Home 'Not As Scary As I Thought'

Before anorexia, Maddy Rich (left) says she never thought she was the kind of person who would struggle with an eating disorder. She gets advice on recovery from Julia Sinn.
Image Courtesy of Samantha Hackett; Elizabeth Birnbaum
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What To Expect When You're Expecting To Own A Farm

K.T. Nicolaides' (left) husband died late last year, two days before their fifth wedding anniversary. Larry Treadwell was widowed in 2011, when his wife Amanda died suddenly. He's now remarried.
Courtesy of K.T. Nicolaides/Courtesy of Larry Treadwell
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Is This Going To Make Me A Different Person? Gender Transition Questions Answered

Charles Johnson (left) is a new city councilman in Baytown, Texas. Ryan Coonerty (right) knows that feeling well; he served in city government in Santa Cruz, Calif., for nearly a decade as a councilman and mayor.
Courtesy of Charles Johnson; Crystal Birns/Courtesy of Ryan Coonerty
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To Make It In Comedy You Have To Bet On Yourself

Kristen Daniels (left) is considering becoming a Catholic nun. Sister Donna Del Santo faced the same situation when she was 38 and offers some advice for Kristen as she considers entering the discernment process.
Courtesy of Kristen Daniels and Sister Donna Del Santo
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Finding A New Kind Of Partnership Through Divorce

Halley Katz (left) is the first person in her family to attend a four-year college. Tyler Lattimore is a first-generation college graduate.
Courtesy of Halley Katz and Anh Bao Tran-Le/Courtesy of Tyler Lattimore
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College Is A 4-Year-Long Balancing Act For First-Generation Students

Pam Rector (left) with her daughter Grace became a single mother by choice when she was ready to have a child. Liv Aannestad is expecting her first child in March through the same process, and like all expecting parents she has some questions.
Courtesy of Pam Rector/Courtesy of Liv Aannestad
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